


when you walked into the room just then, it's like the sun came out

by rawrimmapanda



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 01:27:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17295074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rawrimmapanda/pseuds/rawrimmapanda
Summary: Mark, being the hockey nerd that he is, opts to spend New Year's Eve by watching tape. He invites Blake to watch hockey tape with him.





	when you walked into the room just then, it's like the sun came out

**Author's Note:**

> I'm waving my wand over the fact that they got right on a plane after the game against the Oilers. In my world they stayed back to celebrate.   
> There is also some very light background Nik/Pate if you squint hard enough.

Mark tucked his scarf in tighter, wishing he wore an extra layer or two. He was familiar with the cold, but it felt especially cold in Edmonton tonight. He vowed to make his New Year's resolution to include checking the weather before packing for road trips. As he followed the rest of the team on to the bus that would take them back to the hotel room, he heard some of the guys chatting about going out for the night. 

 

Before he could say something to them about behaving, Blake spoke up and echoed his thoughts. 

 

“Guys, be safe if you’re heading out tonight. Take ubers and taxis to get back to the hotel. Don’t forget we fly out tomorrow afternoon so make sure you’re able to get up and packed in time.”

 

Mark smiled and nodded.

 

“What he said”

 

Mark sat down in his seat, grinning. He felt a tap on his shoulder from Copp and when he looked back he saw him shaking his head at him. 

  
Copper was the only one on the team that knew about his crush. He had let it slip one night while they were watching another game and Mark made him promise to never tell a soul. So far he had held up to that promise. 

 

Mark settled in and started to focus on what he was going to do with the rest of his night. The partying seemed like a good idea, but he wanted to catch up on the games from the rest of the league. 

 

“You going out with the boys tonight?” 

 

Blake sat down next to him and bumped elbows with him in a playful manner. 

 

“Nah, thinking I’m going to catch up on the other games”

 

Mark was being honest. Blake was aware how much hockey meant to him. He was the nerd of the team. 

 

“You going with them?” 

 

Mark knew that since Blake had become single, he had started to isolate some. He claimed that he didn’t know what single men did with their time but picking up wasn’t something he was interested in. Mark thought about making a joke about being picked up by Blake a few times but he wasn’t sure how he would take it, so he didn’t. Plus, crushes are best kept to oneself on the best of days. 

“Figured I’d stay in tonight.”

 

“Well you’re welcomed to come watch these games with me. A second set of eyes are always welcomed.”

 

Mark wasn’t about to let his captain stay alone on a holiday. He knew that what he was going to be doing was boring for most players but the offer was out there for him at this point. 

 

Blake contemplated it for a few moments, and as the bus hit a bump, he nodded. 

 

“It beats Netflix so I’m in.” 

 

Mark tried to hide his smile and just sunk back into the seat. He could feel Copper digging his knees into the back of the seat, which meant that he overheard what was going on. He felt his phone vibrate and he looked down to a text from him. 

 

_ >Get it nerd _

 

Mark rolled his eyes and sent back an emoji flipping him off. 

 

Mark was glad they were on a road trip so that he didn’t have to deal with Copp’s crap for the rest of the night. He was one hundred percent sure that he was going out with the rest of the guys and would be trying to pick up. 

 

Mark went back to browsing instagram on his phone, occasionally checking twitter and the team group chat. Most of the group chat was making fun of Fly for falling asleep on Pate’s shoulder. They looked absolutely domestic in a way that made Mark’s heart feel fond. 

 

The bus came to a stop and the team filed out, making plans to meet up within the hour. Someone had managed to reserve space at some club and they were going to head there. 

 

Mark headed up to his room after letting Blake know to show up anytime he wanted. When he got in his room, he stripped out of his suit and threw on some plaid sleep pants and a soft grey t-shirt. He grabbed his laptop and fiddled with trying to hook it up to the hotel tv and had no success. As he was settling back on the bed closest to the window, he heard a knock on the door. He slid off the bed and padded over to the door, peeking through and seeing Blake standing there. 

 

Blake was wearing a pair of dark blue basketball shorts and an old Golden Gophers t-shirt that had to be at least 10 years old at this point. 

 

“I can’t get it to hook up to the tv, so we’re stuck with my laptop if that’s cool?”

 

Mark figured this was a good enough of an out as he could give.

 

“Yeah, that’s fine”

 

Mark hopped back into the bed and slid over, putting his laptop on his lap. He patted the space next to him and gestured for Blake to sit down. 

 

Blake climbed into the bed and leaned over Mark as he fiddled with the games. He landed on the Flames/Sharks game and they started to watch intently. Mark pointed out the little things and Blake would nod against Mark’s shoulder. Every so often, Blake would point out a missed line change or how a player was skating well on their edges. Mark would grin and go off on how much that player did that and would babble on. 

 

Blake took to staring at Mark as he did that and smiling fondly. When Mark stopped babbling on, Blake would look down at the computer intently, hoping that Mark didn’t think he was staring too much. 

 

As the game went on, Blake looked over at Mark staring intently at the screen during a scrum and he noticed the clock out of the corner of his eye. It had flipped past midnight by this point and read 12:06. 

 

“Happy New Year”

 

Saying that snapped Mark out of the daze he was in and he saw Blake sitting there smiling at him. 

 

“What? Oh! It’s already past midnight, I’m sorry. You should have been out there getting a midnight kiss from someone cute in the club. Not watching hockey tape with me. I’m sorry, I should have insisted you go-”

 

Blake leaned over and kissed him to shut up him. Mark leaned up into the kiss some more and Blake broke it off softly. 

 

“Don’t be sorry.”

 

Mark was stunned and, for once, without words. 

 

“I’m the sorry one. I shouldn’t have done that.” 

 

Blake started to climb out of the bed and Mark reached out and grabbed his arm. 

 

“You don’t have to be sorry as long as you do that again.”

 

Blake grinned and kissed him again. This time it was a bit deeper and had more weight behind it. It meant the beginning of something new and happy. 

 

It was a new year indeed. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Song title is from "Start of Time" by Gabrielle Aplin.
> 
> Feedback is always welcomed! 
> 
> Come join me on my [ tumblr!](https://jakemccabe.tumblr.com/)


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